Ethical Egoism and Capitalism Essay

Moral egoism, generally speaking, is suggestive that every person would action according to his or her very own interests. According to the proponents of ethical egoism, every individual or any group will be pushed to promote one’s own personal interests however others might view all their decisions.

Yet , a personal curiosity is viewed as a long-term commitment based on the ideas shown by the proponents of honest egoism. Here, personal interest will not only cover the basic wants of an person, but rather the needs associated with an individual that may benefit the individual or the groupings for a much longer period (“Ethical Egoism, ” 2007). However, capitalism is definitely an economic worldview that helps bring about the piling up of capital for a long-term period.

Capitalism as an economic thought is largely individualistic, and it is most of the time dedicated to the individual who have plays because the main person in all capitalist endeavors. Consequently, the advocates of capitalism greatly believe every individual or perhaps group of people is always in pursuit of attaining all their goals and interests (Hooker, 1996). Ethical egoism and capitalism, although are two different universe perspectives possess a distinct interconnection.

In some ways, ethical egoism has widely influenced the growth plus the process where capitalism performs. Both ideas are centered on pursuing and satisfying the individual’s personal interests. And as such, the tenets of ethical egoism have become one of the motivating elements in the capitalist world.

Epicurus had his own idea regarding ethical egoism. Epicurus defined self interest based on the pleasure that fulfillment of such self-interest can give. In accordance to Epicurus, pleasure is merely attained whenever the idea of pain is quickly vanquished.

Therefore, one should be ultimately with his or their self in order to become completely happy and satisfied. And as such, he added that to live in a pleasant way, people must adapt to life within a prudent and honest method (Epicurus, 2002, 278). In accordance to this, Epicurus also added that individuals, although fulfilling their needs and self-interests must also discover how to become self satisfactory, stable and not reliant on chances, and must be complete (“Ethical Egoism, ” 2007).

These qualities suggest that a person, while staying self sufficient, need to only give attention to the immediate and basic demands rather than giving up to the delights and unnecessary wants. As a result, if individuals have become attracted to unnecessary pleasure, their desires will not be fulfilled and satiated, and may only cause pain and unhappiness amongst the people. While Epicurus suggested which the ultimate check for satisfaction is the eradication of all reasons behind pain, this individual also figured reason and virtue are two of the main factors in attaining pleasure. As such, rational choices must be made in so that it will be satisfied.

Any wrong and reasonless choice fully commited will cause displeasure and unrest to the people, therefore should be averted (Younkins, “Epicurus on Independence and Happiness, ” 2007) Capitalism, alternatively, is also founded on almost the same tenets. Capitalism is also intended for achieving fulfillment which can be obtained through the build up of capital goods, which will capitalist entrepreneurs desire. Just like how each tenet of ethical egoism is described, the supporters of capitalism also strongly believe that a capitalist is usually in search of pleasure and fulfillment, which can only be achieved in the event his or her self-interests are being quenched. Like ethical egoists, capitalists can also be focused on the attainment of individual pleasure.

And as such, almost every capitalist sets a lot of effort into giving an confidence that each of his personal capitalist interests is being noticed and put in to effect. Revenue, as the primary goal of the capitalists, is definitely the counterpart of “pleasure” intended for an honest egoist. When in ethical egoism, pleasure is only obtained by eliminating types of pain and discontent, earnings is being viewed as the main way to obtain motivation and happiness intended for capitalists.

With this light, earnings is received by capitalists through the absolute use of intelligence, competitive skills, and complete reasoning to be able to equip themselves in a tough competition among other and fellow capitalists. Furthermore, another figure that backlinks capitalism with ethical egoism, is the distinctive pursuit of values behind both the ideologies. Although ethical egoism greatly relation moral and righteousness intended for the achievement of their desired goals, in the capitalist perspective, capitalism is an avenue wherein moral is an imperative towards the creation of social system that will help know the goals of a capitalist.

Capitalism, hence is a system that motivates the practice of boosting self-determination and giving top priority to meaningful agencies to get the system to function well (Younkins, 2007). Capitalism is also primarily based establishing a rigid set of moral principles. Capitalism is actually a system that operates on the strictly ruled set of organizations that makes certain that each approach and actions are always observed. And in order to conserve the balance numerous players inside the system, every action produced can be open to reward or sanctions. In addition to this, self-interests within a capitalist system are attained by valuing the balance involving the needs and material gains.

And as such, every single value system and cultural norms are honored in within the capitalist arena (Cilliers, 2008, pp. 30-31). In many ways, the chill for self-interest and pursuit for material wealth are always related inside the economic system. Pursuing any kind of self-interest and wanting to attain material wealth are tied to the economic purchase, and such, the goal as well as the means must be properly synchronised. The capitalist system works in hand while using ideals with the ethical egoism in such a way that, equally ideologies will suggest that in just about any kind of self-interest, one must always have the ability to determine the greater prioritized facet of the individual’s well-being.

In both the root tenets in capitalism and ethical egoism, self-interest takes on a huge role. Both of the ideologies claim that, self-interest is one thing which will always be satiated by any individual. Failure to attain this will generate human beings discontented for their lives, and such will usually push to gain more. When in honest egoism, the individual’s pursuit is directed towards getting rid of his or her source of pain to be able to attain satisfaction; in capitalism, the individual’s self-interest is directed in gaining revenue which he or she can attain through the elimination of competition or perhaps by triumphantly overcoming almost any competition that comes in his / her way.

However , there are certain limits that must be taken consideration with this pursuit of both self-interest or profit. Mentioned previously in honest egoism, an individual must know how you can control his / her pleasures. The surplus of wanting too much materials wealth will eventually build discontent, disappointment and pain on the specific. This should go the same in capitalism – every individual must learn how to control his or perhaps pursuit of increasing more earnings that how it is likely to work.

In the event that an individual or the whole culture believes that they deserve more than what is rightful for them, the society will be in chaos. And as such, those will become rather more dissatisfied, and order is often more oblivious to the minds in the people. The parallelism of the tenets between ethical egoism and capitalism shows the distinct comparability and similarity of the ideas contributing to both equally ideologies, with self-interest at the core of honest egoism and capitalism.

Basically, self-interest is what drives both equally ethical egoism and capitalist to achieve the purpose. Ethical egoism shares its impact with capitalism in such a way that honest egoism demonstrates there is something that an individual wants to attain. Alongside these would like and needs, an individual is need to follow particular measures in order to fulfill his or goal. And most important, there should always be limits as to what an individual should wish to have. Too much wanting anything, in inside either the tenets of ethical egoism and capitalism, will always be bad for the position of every specific or in a society.

Sources Cilliers, J. (2008). Global Capitalism – Local Beliefs. St . Gallen Symposium. Switzerland: University of St . Gallen. Epicurus. “Principle Doctrines. ” Classics of Political and Moral Idea.

Ed. Steven M. Cahn. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. “Ethical Egoism. ” (2007). Centre for Moral Deliberation. Gathered October 2, 2008, from http://www. mcb. unco. edu/ced/perspectives/egoism. cfm Hooker, R. (1996).

Capitalism. The European Enlightenment. Retrieved March 2, 2008, from http://www. wsu. edu/~dee/GLOSSARY/CAPITAL. HTM Younkins, E. W. (2007). Epicurus on Independence and Pleasure.

La Quebecois Libre. Gathered October two, 2008, via http://www. quebecoislibre. org/07/071111-4. htm Younkins, E. W. (2007). Capitalism: The Only Moral Social System. La Quebecois Vacante. Retrieved October 3, 2008, from http://www. quebecoislibre. org/07/071111-4. htm